CFMMEU fined again for bullying

31 August 2018

The CFMMEU has yet again been fined for bullying small business people and workers.

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said, “This time the CFMMEU threatened a sub-contractor and demanded the sacking of a worker who wasn’t a union member from an Adelaide worksite so that a CFMMEU official who sat on the union’s executive could replace them.”

The Federal Court fined the union $82,000 for this unlawful coercion, taking the total fines imposed on it to over $1 million this financial year alone.

Justice Besanko said that the conduct which "wanted the termination of [the worker’s] employment because he would not join the CFMEU" was "unlawful, illegitimate, unconscionable action".

“The decision is yet more evidence that the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) is essential to ensuring building and construction workplaces observed the rule of law like normal workplaces and that building union officials follow the rules,” Denita Wawn said.

“Bullying by the CFMMEU is an everyday reality for small business people and workers on building sites around the country but every time they are caught the CFMMEU never say sorry or show any remorse. Without the ABCC they would just get away with it,” she said.

“The community does not tolerate bullying and people who are just trying to earn their living should not have to face it from the CFMMEU,” Denita Wawn said.

"On average, the CFMMEU have been penalised $125,000 each and every week this financial year and they use their member’s money to pay them. They simply don’t’ accept that they should follow the laws like they expect everyone else to do" she said.